If you’re new to the adoption and foster care space a term you will hear a lot is trauma. The word trauma, in this space, can look like a lot of different things and manifest itself in different ways, but it’s rooted in the psychological wounds that occur to a child that has been separated from their biological family and the difficult experience that often follow that separation. Simply put, family separation is unnatural and creates problems. More and more research is being done, and it is showing the major effects trauma has on the brain and development of children even if separation happens at birth. The good news is that there can be healing, especially when a child has safe, consistent, and loving people to care for them. This is why it is important to not only understand trauma but be able to recognize it and respond appropriately. Below are some stories and resources that will equip you and help you in your efforts to care for children who have experienced trauma.